“That morning will probably start out about 4 a.m., just to make sure that we get down here in time,” says Freshler.

And she wasn’t the only one getting ready for the big inauguration.

At Metro headquarters Monday, people lined up to get their commemorative fare cards. In 2009, ridership was at an all-time high at 1.1 million trips.
While there will be fewer on rails and buses this time around, Metro is still urging inaugural attendees to buy their fare cards early.

"If you've got out of town guests coming in you want to make sure you get a Smart Trip Card or fare card for everyone in the group and make sure its properly loaded with enough value on it for not just the trip to the inauguration but also your return trip home,” says Metro spokesman Dan Stessel.

If you're going to the mall, the area for non-ticketed viewing is between Fourth Street Northwest and the Washington Monument.

You can enter on Constitution Avenue at 7th, 9th or 12th streets NW and also on Independent Avenue SW at 7th and 12th streets.

To avoid attendees being stuck in bridges, both the Third and 12th street tunnels will be closed. The Memorial Bridge will also be shut down.

And to make the experience easier, the presidential inaugural committee has created a smart phone app to help navigate the day.

“When you wake up Monday morning and you have a ticket you, just bring your smart phone with you,” says U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-NY). “Click onto your ticket color and you'll get detailed instructions about how to get exactly to your seat.”